Lamp socket



June 14, 1938 F. WEAR :E l AL' LAMP SOCKET Filed Aug 31, 1937 ate,

Hw M a? m w m dm um ek vnwJm 3 0. a m m A T H b 4 Patented June .14, 1938 UNITED) STATES LAMP SOCKET Frank Wear and Alexander K. Whyte, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New- York Application August 31, 1937, Serial No. 161,266

g In Canada December 24, 1936 3 Claims. (Cl. 173-328) Our invention relates tov lamp sockets, and more particularly to sockets adapted for use with tubular lamps of the type having a separable contact cap at each end. v An object of our invention is to provide a socket which may be readily manufactured and assembled at a low cost.

-A further object of our invention is to provide a socket capable of accommodating lamps of both large and small diameters, and further adapted for both flush and surface mounting. Y.

Another object-of our invention is to provid agsocket of the type specified with a readily assembled terminal cover, the cover and contact terminal being arranged to permit easy wiring in different positions, and to permit through wiring if desired.

Another object of our invention is to provide a socket readily adaptable to all methods of mount- )0 ing the lamps of the character described, and

' one which is simple in construction and serves to readily connect a lamp in circuit and to hold the lamp securely in position.

What we consider to be novel and our inven- 25 tion will be better understoodby reference to the following specification and appended claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. -1 is a view of a tubular lamp mounted in a pair of sockets of our invention.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective viewof a socket. v t

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the socket. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the terminal cover," and 35- Flg. 5 is a view illustrating the flush mounting of the socket ,of our invention.

Referring to the drawing It indicates a tubular lamp of cylindrical shape having a filament II extending from end to end and connected at so each end to a ferrule (not shown). To connect lamp ill in an"electrical*circuit, contact caps l2 are provided at each end which separably engage the ferrule in the end -of the lamp, as is now known in the art, and which are adapted to co; 5 operate with'the sockets like! our invention, each. cap having projecting spring finger contacts. l2d which engage the contact'clip in the socket thus connecting the ferruleat the end of the lamp to the socket cont'act' clip. go Socket comprises a body I! L -shaped in cross section. of molded insulating material, the leg I! of which is formed with ,a substantially rectangular opening l6 .therethrough, and the foot I! of .which is provided with a threaded aperl ture 'lltherethrough. The upper end of leg l5 is curved to cooperate with the contour of the contact cap i2, and the sides thereof are given a taper I9 adjacent the end, for the purpose of allowing a large size tubular lamp the full amount of lateral movement. A substantially U-shaped 5 metallic contact clip 20, designed. to always give an inwardtension is adapted to fit within the opening iii in leg I5, and the bottom of the clip is provided with an integral lateral extension 2i through which a terminal screw 22 is threaded 10 in a suitable threaded aperture formed therein. The bottom face of the foot I1 is suitably recessed as at 23 to accommodate the extension 2i on contact clip 20. The clip is secured in the opening l6 by means of a sheet of fibrous insulating 5 material 25 secured to the body M by suitable screws 26 entered in threaded holes in the bottom face of foot ii. .The insulating sheet 25 is apertured as at 21 to permit access to the terminal screw 22, and the bottom face of foot I1 is cut 20 of the body It. The cover 30 is provided with a through aperture 32 arranged to register with the threaded aperture It in foot ll, whereby a suitable screw 32a may be employed to secure as the cover 30 to the body- It. An aperture 33 extends through each of the rectangular bosses 3] for the reception of suitable screws or bolts for securing the cover 30 and body H to a supporting surface. The cover is formed hollow interiorly and the side walls thereof are formed thin at portions thereof to provide knockouts 24 l .for the reception of the circuit wire or wires connected to the terminal] screw 22. I

In Fig. 5 we have illustrated the flush mounting of the socket of our invention througha-sheet of facing material 35 in which a rectangular aperture is cut to accommodate-the leg ii of body II. The socket is secured in "position by means ofv a screw 38 arranged to pass through so an aperture in the facing" and to engage the threaded aperture ill in foot II. For surface mounting it will be understood that the socket of our invention may be secured to the supporting surface by means of screws 31 (Fig. 1) passing through the openings in the bosses 3i of cover 30. The circuit wiring is illustrated in Fig. 5 by the wires 38 passing through the knockouts 34.

It will be observed that, as illustrated in the drawing the body M and cover 30 are formed to provide-a substantially fiat rear surface 40. This feature of the socket of our invention is useful, when two of the sockets are mounted back to back to permit the abutted mounting of successive lamps. Moreover the taper on the upper end of leg l5 and the length of the leg permits the employment of this socket with tubular lamps of varying diameters. When the sockets are flush mounted the securing screw is hidden beneath the lamp when the lamps are mounted in the socket.

While we have-disclosed herein a particular embodiment of the socket of our invention we do not wish to be limited thereto, but aim in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of our invention. I

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A socket for use with tubular lamps which comprises a substantially L-shaped body of insulating material having a rectangular aperture extending through the leg thereof, a metallic contact clip fitted within said aperture and'having an integral laterally extending portion arranged to abut the bottom ofsaid body, means for connecting said clip to an electrical circuit, a sheet of insulating material secured to the bottom of said body arranged to hold said clip in said aperture and. having an aperture therethrough permitting access to said connecting means, and a terminal cover box secured to the lower face of the foot of said body and having portions thereof extending upwardly adjacent the lower end of said leg.

2. A socket for use with tubular lamps which comprises an L-shaped body of insulating material having a leg and a foot, said leg extending a substantial distance above the upper surface of said foot and having a rectangular aperture extending upwardly therethrough, said foot having a threaded aperture therethrough, a metallic contact clip fitted within said rectangular aperture and having an integral laterally extending portion engaging the bottom surface of said foot, a terminal screw threaded in said laterally extending portion whereby said clip may be connected to an electrical circuit, a sheet of insulating material secured to thebottom surface of said foot and having an aperture therein whereby said sheet secures said clip against said body while affording access to said terminal screw through said aperture, a terminal cover box having a vertically extending aperture therethrough registering with said threaded aperture in said foot, said box having laterally and upwardly extending portions arranged to fit against the sides of said body adjacent the lower end of said leg, and means extending through the aperture in said box and engaging the threaded aperture in said foot for securing said box against the bottom surface of said body.

3. A socket for use with tubular lamps which comprises an L-shaped body of insulating material having a leg and a foot, said leg extending a substantial distance above the upper surface of said foot and having a rectangular aperture extending upwardly therethrough, said foot having a threaded aperture therethrough, a metallic contact clip fitted within said rectangular aperture and having an integral laterally extending portion engaging the bottom surface of said foot, a terminal screw threaded in said laterally extending portion whereby said clip may be connected to an electrical circuit, a sheet of insulating material secured to the bottom surface of said foot and having an aperture therein whereby said sheet secures said clip against said body while aifording access to said terminal screw through said aperture, a terminal cover 1 box having a vertically extending aperture therethrough registering with said threaded aperture in said box having laterally and upwardly ,extending portions arranged to fit against the sides of said body adjacent the lower end of said leg, and means extending through the aperture in said box and engaging the threaded aperture in said foot for securing said box against the bottom surface of said body, said body and said box being formed with a flat side, said box having side walls formed thin ata plurality of points whereby the material thereof may be broken away at said points to form wiring channels, said laterally and upwardly extending portions of said box having apertures therethrough whereby said socket may be secured to a supporting surface by means of a pair of screws, and said threaded aperture in said foot providing means whereby said socket may be secured beneath a facing material by means of a screw engaging in said threaded aperture. 

